The Administrative Core is responsible for the structural organization of COBRE. It determines the guidelines for the administration of the individual components of COBRE and for their integration into the overall operation of the Center. The Core oversees the day-to-day operation including the practical implementation of the principles upon which the Center is built. The COBRE PI/PD has the overall responsibility for the grant. She is assisted by the Internal Steering Committee (ISC), whose role is to provide the input and guidance into making strategic management decisions, including conflict resolution. The External Advisory Committee (EAC) provides scientific oversight ofthe Center and is responsible for the review of proposals for the Pilot Research Subproject Program. The COBRE Program Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the research instrumentation cores. The Administrative Core personnel, PI/PD and Program Coordinator, with the assistance of the Internal Steering Committee, are responsible for coordinating and overseeing the annual research meetings, mentoring, and evaluation.